PRESENTATION OUTLINE
A NARROW FELLOW IN THE GRASS
A poem by Emily Dickinson
A narrow fellow in the grass
Occasionally rides --
You may have met Him -- did you not
His notice sudden is --
Snake symbolism
-"Fellow" implies humanity and personifies
-"Rides?"
-"Him" personifies snake
-Snake notices you or vice versa?
The Grass divides as with a Comb
A spotted shaft is seen--
And then it closes at your feet
And opens further on--
-1st line simile 'as'
-Active Imagery for snake moving through grass
-Spotted shaft imagery for snake itself
He likes a Boggy Acre
A floor to cool for Corn --
Yet when a Boy, and Barefoot --
I more than once at noon
Have passed, I thought, a Whip lash
Unbraiding in the Sun
When stooping to secure it
It wrinkled, and was gone --
-He' = personification
- Speaker changes to male
- Past tense (memories)
- Alliteration and assonance
- Metaphor / snake = whip
- 'wrinkled' descriptive word choice
- Snake was scared 'and was gone'
Several of Nature's People
I know, and they know me -
I feel for them a transport
Of cordiality --
- Sense of friendliness and welcome
- Contrast to fear in previous and next stanza
- Brings back to present tense
- Broadens to include other people
But never met this Fellow
Attended, or alone
Without a tighter breathing
And Zero at the Bone
- Personification of snake
- Imagery of fear 'tighter breathing'
- 'Zero at the Bone' = absolute fear
.
Snake: symbol of something?
Universal fear?
Fear of medicine?
Fear of evil?
